5- Musings of an Undead

I strongly recommend all of you to either see this fic on QuestionableQuesting or Fimfiction, you might see different codes on my chapters unfortunately this site is a piece of trash and so none of them work here so for a better reading experience, go to the other sites I told you.

________________________________________

[center][b]Planet: Equus

Country: Equestria 

City:Ponyville 

Location: Ponyville's General Hospital P.G.H 

Month: Hayprance

Day: Stablesunday 8th

Hour: 5:23 P.M.[/b] [/center]

Dean slowly opened his eyes, his [b]self[/b] was calm, well, calmer, the rage was still very much in the back of his mind.

Bip*

Looking at the green ceiling and smelling the unmistakable aroma of a hospital he breathed a sigh of relief but opted to stand still while pondering at his recent memories.

Bip*

The last... conscious hours have been hectic.

Bip*

Especially considering the fact he died.

[i]Bip*[/i]

Even if temporarily.

Bip*

That thing, the Unicorn? Pegacorn? Sun? failed... Partially at least.

Bip*

Or perhaps not, he had not felt any malice coming from it, the most likely scenario was that it simply made a mistake.

[i]Bip*[/i]

One that killed him.

Bip*

For 6 days he remembered floating in a dark place, no, it is not accurate to say [b]he[/b] remembered.

It was not him, but his [i]self[/i].

It was hell, no, hell would have been better, at least there he would still exist to feel even if only pain, at least there he would still be someone.

But that [i]Place[/i]... It didn't allow him that, to be [b]something[/b].

Even after experiencing it, Inexistence is not something he can describe.

The only thing he could describe as a matter of fact was what he felt [i]after[/i] returning from it, of what he... remembered?

A paradox, he experienced a [i]paradox[/i], and no human in his world would have been able to explain it had they passed through it themselves.

But he could try.

No thoughts graced his mind, no feelings, no... [i]Nothing[/i].

It was as if he was dead, no, not dead, it was as if he didn't exist.

And maybe... he didn't.

No.

Who is he kidding? 

For 6 straight days, Dean Tyronus Starfield did [b]not[/b] exist.

Gone.

Erased.

As if he was never there.

He deduced why of course, otherwise the question would torment him for all his days.

If the soul is driven completely by the concept of [Will] and one can be erased if they lose it then that [i]thing[/i], in the most literal sense erased everything that was Dean Tyronus Starfield the moment it sent him to a thoughtless sleep.

It made sense.

If the mind trumps over matter then the death of it means the erasure of everything that his Self is.

It killed him, without even meaning to that... [i]Abomination[/i] in the form of an equine [b]killed him[/b].

Oh, he isn't angry because he was executed, no, death is only the inevitable consequence for the weak, be it in the form of a weapon, fist, claw, teeth, or even time.

He accepts it.

Understands it.

Even approves of it.

In the present and future if the day that he is murdered ever comes he will not hold any hate for his killer.

His death is and always will be [b]his[/b] own fault, trying to blame another creature for it would be the height of ridiculousness.

He died because he was weak.

There's nothing beyond that.

So, no, he is not angry because he was murdered.

He is angry because that [b][color=#be4343]Golden Fuck[/color][/b] killed him without even meaning to.

Like a human accidentally turning a butterfly into powder in their hands the thing didn't even notice the human ant dying beneath its hooves.

And that irked him more than anything.

Even if true, being treated as inconsequential Is. Not. Acceptable.

Be it by a Celestial, Concept, or God, [b]he will not accept being made a fool.[/b]

So… the best way to be taken seriously, to not be treated as the circus clown that he is is to be a threat, one [i]none[/i] can ignore.

Once again strength proves to be absolute.

And once again he proved to not have any meaningful amount of it.

And for the sin of being weak, he was slain.

As all weaklings are fated to one day.

But... if that is so, how is he alive now?

He smirked.

Dean Tyronus Starfield died, that much is true.

But his [b]Self[/b] did not.

[i]'And ain't that a revelation?'[/i]

His smile widened, another secret of his soul, laid bare before his eyes.

He thought it impossible, but no.

His [i]Self[/i] keeps being the gift that keeps on giving.

[b]BIP!*[/b]

In the human-limited vision, their pathetically narrow-minded spirit, only further narrowed by their own will, many things are hidden or outright ignored by those worms.

But... Imagine it, a crystal, imagine that his soul is that crystal.

Seeing it from afar one would think his soul is a sphere, a transparent one with lights blinking in and out of existence from inside it, they, of course, would be wrong.

Looking closely one would see facets, so small and transparent that the surface would feel smooth even to the touch, that one would need to see it so closely just to notice its minuscule lines.

[spoiler][img]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR4NfnRy6kmKWNlOBGXKcu1Acw0ffexx0aGog&usqp=CAU[/img][/spoiler]

He saw it with his own eyes, his soul, not [i]just[/i] the part that is Dean like he was in the mindscape while fighting Yuujirou, but all of it.

Each little facet was him, a past him, previous lives that make up a whole.

And in that sphere of impossibility and wonder, even if for only days, [b]he did not exist[/b].

A facet for the one named Dean Tyronus Starfield Did. Not. [i]Exist[/i].

For a facet to be formed, memories need to exist, experiences filled with emotion, good or bad need to be there to prove that this small part of a whole, this minuscule addition to a Legion existed at all.

And that thing destroyed that, the sun erased him.

It killed his current facet.

How? Simple, after achieving Mind Over Matter even only in its beginning stage his life and Self both became interlinked.

Not only that but as a matter of its nature his current facet entraps him as a whole, past as present.

If something managed to reach it and somehow interact with it like that then it would not be only his current self that would be affected but all that is him.

All that the concept of [Dean Tyronus Starfield's] fact represents, in other words, if the present were to be erased, so would the past.

That is to say, that creature's power, instead of only affecting his current self, his brain, and sending him to a dreamless sleep, it instead hit all that was him and as a result made it so Dean Tyronus Starfield as a concept could no longer think or feel anymore.

To explain it better after achieving mind over matter his physical body and the Self that is Dean Tyronus Starfield became completely driven by will.

Dependent on it in a much bigger way than most humans.

When that thing sent him to a dreamless sleep it took his ability to feel, sense, and think.

As a result, it also took his will.

And considering how his body and soul needed it to survive it also killed him in the process.

Even if it hadn't hit everything that his current facet is, the result would be the same.

Being brought back would be easier but the result would be the same nonetheless.

He gripped his fist.

Bip*Bip*Bip*

'[i]Ridiculous[/i].'

It was.

Completely and utterly.

[b]Ridiculous[/b].

To be borough low by a sleep [b]spell[/b] of all things.

Deducing its power to be, if not magic, something close to it wasn't hard, it was similar to the power all human souls possessed.

Infinity, or at least something like it.

But, yes, during the last 5 days, Dean Tyronus Starfield was gone, dead, erased from his very soul, but [b][i]not[/i][/b] forgotten.

His facets, memories forgotten of what he once was in life's past helped him.

Maybe there were thousands, tens of it, perhaps hundreds, maybe even millions, he doesn't know.

All he does know is that they helped him.

Lights, so small they alone would not have been able to muster the will to move even a finger, could together do something truly incredible.

They could [i]remember[/i].

And so they did, they remembered who Dean Tyronus Starfield was, and slowly, [i]very[/i] slowly, through the days, in that dark limbo, they put him together.

Just as he was before, adding nothing, taking nothing.

And so, with a vegetable for a body, he forced his soul back, it took one entire day to learn how to do it, but he managed it, he resurrected himself.

Of course, he doesn't have the will necessary to do something like this, and he won't for a long time, but what allowed him to come back was not his mind, it was his circumstances.

His body was simply unresponsive, not dead, and so, he managed to do it.

It was a statistical impossibility, to arrive at a situation where his mind perished but his body did not, at least in this specific way.

His soul did not leave his body, it hadn't strictly died after all, it simply forgot what it was, who it was.

In that circumstance his facets were in the perfect position to bring him back just after achieving mind over matter.

Had he not achieved it this situation would not have occurred in the first place, sure, but had he not achieved it if the situation did occur, for the more unlikely it was, his facets would not have been able to put him back together.

He sighed.

Many would ask if they were still themselves in this situation, but not him.

He does not ask his [i]self[/i] if he is still [i]himself[/i], he knows he is, his situation is not unlike the ship of Theseus, but in the end, he knows it.

Deep in his soul, he is himself.

He just forgot it for a while.

And until the day he dies, that will keep being true.

 But that does not matter now.

On the seventh day, some hours ago, he woke up, first, in tha limbo, in front of the whole that was his soul, it took mere minutes to understand where he was and what had happened.

When he truly understood what happened, rage and terror both in equal measure, gripped his heart.

Bip*

He trembled, screamed, and even tried to find something to punch to calm himself down, in the end, he managed to calm himself down after noticing how pathetic he was being.

bip*

That thing could cast spells with the power to kill his facet casually, even worse, to force him to enter a state of non-thought.

Taking away his ability to use his will.

Devoid of thoughts.

Passion.

And life.

[b]Will cannot exist.[/b]

His greatest weapon, gone, like it were a simple sand castle that could be toppled over at any time had it so desired.

Had this happened in the past he would be able to do nothing but despair.

But dying 279 times, plus 1 taught him one thing, no matter how tall a mountain is, with enough will, even a dog can climb it.

You see... To achieve mind over matter is to bet everything you have, everything you are into your will.

To achieve the impossibility that those men did one [b]has[/b] to risk it all, know what danger he is putting himself in, and go on regardless.

He thought he understood that before.

He was wrong.

But he does it now.

Yuujirou, the Celestial, and the blue blur, he is thankful for them, all taught him something he will never forget.

[b]Yuujirou[/b] taught him the meaning of selfishness, of wanting something and acting on it regardless of any consequence, with the will to face any who oppose you with a closed fist.

[b]The Celestial[/b] taught him to fear, to tremble at the sight of his worst nightmare, of what his very soul hoped didn't exist, more importantly however,[i] it taught him to live.[/i]

To enjoy everything he has to the maximum, to live despite everything, and to not accept the life of an inconsequential ant in an indifferent universe.

To fight to matter.

[b]The blur[/b] taught him defiance, to fight even in the face of death, to not accept a predetermined fate even despite his weakness.

It also taught him how quick and merciless death can come, and how being unable to do the impossible is still, despite logic, his fault and his fault alone.

They taught him so much he would never have been able to learn all of it alone, and for this, he is thankful, so much so that as a show of gratitude, he will use their teachings [b]to beat each and every single one of them with his bare hands[/b].

But that is in the future, that entity's spell still makes him ponder deeply.

If one loses their will they simply... stop existing, they lost the very [Wish] to [Go Forward] after all, much like a rock, after this happens they are no longer alive.

For a normal person, this might result in either depression or suicide.

For one that achieved Mind over Matter, however, it is much worse.

If they no longer possess the will to live then their soul, ever obedient, obeys their wish, and [i]doesn't[/i] come back the next time they die

It is not something easily achievable of course, his time in that dark space allowed him to analyze and as a result, deduce many things, mainly that to truly stop existing after death a soul needs to [b]commit[/b] to it.

It needs to wish to no longer go forward with 100% of its being, if even a minuscule part of it does not wish to go, it won't.

That thing's spell almost did exactly that.

Suicide.

Yes, suicide.

The soul, self-terminating itself by its own will.

Had this been the case he would have been gone yes, but it wasn't.

That Celestial forced it upon him, in an unnatural way that inadvertently created an unlikely circumstance where only Dean Tyronus Starfield was forced to self-terminate.

Despite other facets not approving or allowing it.

His facet was tricked into thinking it no longer wanted to live, that it no longer wanted to be anything.

Because it was the victim of a spell that made it impossible for it to think at all.

And so, by the power of its sorcery, he became nothing.

Inexistence.

Oblivion.

Call it what you wish, Dean Tyronus Starfield's soul was tricked into killing its current self by a spell that rendered any thought to form while asleep impossible.

He was lucky, incredibly so, the equine race's soul must be composed and arranged completely differently from his own to an extreme degree if the spell only targeted his current active facet and ignored all others.

[i]'Perhaps the equines do not reincarnate? Or maybe if they do they truly lose everything of the past, those facets, my facets are... Prints.'

'The proof I was something before my current self, if the equines do not possess this then they either were nothing before or they do not leave any prints before it.'[/i]

He hummed as a sensation from... somewhere blossomed into his being.

[i]'If that is the case... Does this mean they cannot change? That their souls are forever fixed and unchanging independently of how they live?'[/i]

A burst of melancholy spread from his stomach.

[b]BIP!*[/b]

Forcebily shaking his head he went back to his previous thoughts.

Feelings of lives past mattered little, for now.

He refused to even consider the chance of the thing having made a genuine mistake in its casting.

No, even with what he assumed to be a higher intellect the entity fell into one of the most deadly traps in the world, habit.

Experience brings certainty where doubt and caution should be, so certain of its success from millions of previously cast attempts the entity most likely didn't cogitate the chance of anything going wrong.

This oversight was all it took for him to gain the slight possibility of returning.

"Huh*"

If a God exists, it probably helped him, the sheer amount of coincidences and luck needed for him to come back are... Improbable to happen otherwise.

But then again, some incredible coincidences happened throughout history, so he might just be thanking the clouds.

His lips lifted as fear left him.

That... Celestial, made a grave mistake, its power targeted only him, only one facet.

He himself was amazed.

His soul... was truly and utterly insane.

Dean Tyronus Starfield is just a shard of a whole, one that is in the control panel now but still one with a limited view of his Self.

For that reason, he never thought the remains of the ones that came before, the ones that one day [b]he[/b] was, could help him.

That in the end, even if in a different way, his past selves are still alive.

His vision... Is still far too limited, living in imaginary shackles all throughout his life he became unable to think outside them.

Only now he is able to peek beyond, but that is all, a peek.

His facets, or what remained of them could think, and with it, they could wish, they could want, they could [b]Will[/b] their desires upon their soul.

And so, they saved him, he has no idea how long he would have been forced to stay in that terrifying limbo otherwise.

Thinking nothing.

Being [i]nothing[/i].

More likely than not, he would not have returned.

Their help also proved one thing to him, no, it is more proper to say they reinforced one thing that he already knew.

He is far too weak.

The... exotic threat the entity represented together with what he, deep down, somehow knew to be Magic hammered this into his head.

He only planned to train physically before, but that alone is no longer viable.

The thing, only by transforming into mist trivialized all of his efforts, what can his fist do against something that is not solid after all?

The amount of will he would need in order to affect the outside world and hit incorporeal or intangible creatures would put him at the level of Yuujirou Hanma.

Something he doesn't think he can reach in less than a decade.

So... he has to find another way.

Fortunately, it already exists, unfortunately, he will need to learn a new language and then start studying to use it.

The same thing his soul was so certain it existed here, the damn thing that filled his body in every breath.

Magic.

He feels a sense of deja vu just by feeling the thing around him, it wasn't the same... It didn't even compare to his soul, but he could feel it, the thing that did not exist in his universe.

Heh*

He asks himself if one of his facets lived in a world with it before.

But that doesn't matter, what matters is that their success in breaking through the sun's spell gave him an invaluable gift.

The knowledge of how to surpass such trickery.

Because, in the end, mind spells are nothing more than that.

A pathetic trick, used only by the weak and opportunistic, one destined to fail in the face of true power.

Something those men have in droves.

And he does not.

In the end, it is a trick used by weaklings to defeat weaklings, or the strong to play with the weak.

Much like Baki's slap, that ridiculous, so-called 'whip technique' bypasses one's defenses and delivers the same amount of damage to a baby as it would to Yuujirou Hanma.

Its highlight only being the excruciating pain it causes, something any minimally talented imbecile like Ali Jr can bypass.

In other words, it is a technique for women to use in self-defense, not for men to fight.

Even then that 'trick' served as a warning.

He had not thought of it before but thankfully his facets revealed the glaring hole in his defenses, while at the same time, proving definitively that he [b]can[/b] train to strengthen them.

He was ignorant to it before, his shacklement, brought only by himself made him blind.

But now... he is starting to see again.

When his soul trembled at the sight of the Sun Celestial, at the power it could hold over him, he had never thought of the most obvious solution.

To train.

To train to the point even the sun would not be able to alter him on a whim, to kill him as if he were less than an insect.

Before, he had only thought to train [i]physically[/i].

To the point where he could surpass all, to the point where even countries wouldn't have enough strength to face his first.

Ironically, even then, he was still limiting himself.

But why continue to do so now?

The soul presents the possibility to grow infinitely in all directions, not [b]just[/b] strength.

Yuujirou Hanma himself is a psychic, as proven by his ability to send words and feelings to someone's brain.

If he remembers correctly he did it the moment he was born, so the technique shouldn't be hard to learn.

[size=0.5em][s]'Wait How do I know this?'[/s][/size]

His head hurt.

He ignored it.

Unfortunately... at the moment he sees only some ways to train his mental resistance, and all of them are... Extreme, and disgusting.

The first would be to get addicted to some random drug, put a stash of it in front of him, and sit for days just staring at it, not taking it, not moving, just doing [i]nothing[/i].

Yes, the training would be rather extreme and very distasteful for someone like him, especially considering how much he hates those things.

But by passing through it he would increase his will to a truly absurd level, the fight against the mental and physical effects, combined with the psychological pain would strengthen his mind immensely.

It would not be nearly enough but it would be a start, first, he will need to surpass biologically centered mental attacks and then progress to spiritual ones. 

For the physical, besides the first option, he can pump himself full of hallucinogenics and power through them to come back to reality.

Together with making him more resistant to drugs, it would also make him stronger against non light refractory based illusions.

For the spiritual side... well, he has the feeling Yuujirou isn't quite done with him.

Which is good, he isn't over with that fucker for turning his back on him either.

If the strength he is feeling in his body is any indication fighting with the ogre is incredibly beneficial.

If that monster doesn't return he is sure he can find some kind of spell to affect his soul, cast it on himself, and train until he is able to resist.

Maybe a transmutation one to try and first force his body into the right shape through his soul and then evolve to one that forces to soul to take a specific form and fight through it.

It might be insane or even suicidal to do these things but in the face of a being that can rewrite his Self on a whim, no suffering is high enough for him to forsake protecting himself.

He'd rather let his soul [b]burn[/b] in the pits of hell and be tortured incessantly than let that thing have him another time.

Bip*

BIp*

BIP*

He gripped his fist.

One day...

[b]BIP!*

BIP!!*

BIP!!!*[/b]

He swears it by all that he believes in, [b]One Day[/b] he will face that thing, [color=#900C3F][b]and carve its skull with his bare hands as retribution.[/b][/color]

Breathing deeply he relaxed.

Bip*

Knowledge proved time and time again in recent days to be power, had any of those men known what he does today their strength would be magnitudes higher, he does not doubt Yuujirou Hanma would be capable of shattering planets had he known the power of his soul.

As one of his favorite characters once said.

"Humanity's potential for evolution is [b]limitless[/b]." 

Even if watching that man through a screen, he should have believed him.

And now that he does, now that he knows those words are nothing but the truth, he will do just that.

Follow the same path he and all those men did.

The path of a fighter.

The Sun made a mistake, and quite frankly he does not care whether or not it is good, or bad.

Its error in not ending him when it had the chance will serve as the seeds of its defeat.

The humiliation he suffered at its hands will not go unanswered, 1 year, a decade, or even a century, no matter how long it takes, [b][color=#be4343]That golden fuck will pay a thousandfold for that humiliation.[/color][/b]

It's somewhat ironic for him... Pride, he didn't have any of it before.

But now? Now that he has something to be proud of? Now that he is someone he can [i]stand[/i] to look at in the mirror? He will kill to keep it.

And beat any bastard who dares to tarnish it to death with its own limbs.

First things first, however, he needs to find something capable of attacking his mind

Of course, one might ask 'If one's will grows when they train, fight, or starve off death by the skin of their teeth won't their mental barriers increase regardless?'

The answer is, of course, yes, but not 100%.

In his earlier deaths, he attacked the ogre only because he believed it would be far too pathetic not to do so.

For this reason, his durability increased.

But not his strength.

No, his power only increased when he started to truly attack the ogre with the wish to kill him, not caring about getting out of the confrontation whole or even alive.

If his theory is right then just as having the right motivation towards something will increase his advancement by leaps then having the right training and stress testing his defenses will also do the same.

Let's suppose, That training his body by fighting increases his strength by 5, will by 10, and mental resistance by 1 then having his psyche attacked and winning the confrontation would increase his resistance by 20, will by 40, and strength by 4.

Meaning the source of the suffering is just as important as the training done, physical, mental, and spiritual.

Of course, he still has to test it but he is reasonably sure of his theory.

Yes... to become a perfect fighter he will have to train all three of them, body, mind, and soul, the only way to not only reach but surpass the ogre is to exceed in all three of those.

A gargantuan task no doubt.

He knows he will suffer for it, more than he has ever done so in his miserable life before.

But... where once he would give up, not wanting to feel the pain necessary for progress, now he welcomes it.

[b]Challenges it[/b] with a smile.

He is curious, what will break first? He, or the walls that trap him down?

He smiled and then lifted himself out of bed, enough of his thoughts, it's time to meet the locals.

He moved his limbs, ready to jump out, just to fail as something stopped him.

Bringing his arm forward he looked at the thing in it.

It was... a restrainer? A hospital restrainer.

Humming in thought he looked at th bed's arms, they were made of wood, more specifically, Applewood.

Wishing to test something he enrolled the restrainer's rope into his arm and [i]pushed[/i].

His muscles clenched as a strength they should not possess surged from within his limbs.

Crack!

Three seconds later, something broke.

Bringing his arm up he looked at it.

The restraint held, the bed's wooden arm did not.

It is as he thought, his strength increased, significantly at that, but not only because of his fights against Yuujirou, no.

His facets.

If his feelings of melancholy were any indication, after being brought back the 'barriers' between him and them thinned, giving him the ability to draw upon their will to strengthen himself beyond what even his facet alone should be capable of.

It was... Distasteful, being a past version of him or not he will never accept a power not earned.

Perhaps one day, in the far future he too would be able to remember them if he tried, but not now.

Shaking his head he proceeded to free all of his limbs, for but a moment he wondered how his hand was reattached, only to dismiss it as he decided to ask the doctors later.

Leaving the bed he forcibly removed the monitors attached to his body and looked around.

[b]BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!!![/b]

[b]CRACK![/b]

Ignoring the 4-legged, white-furred creature that burst inside by quite literally breaking the door down he tried to find something to cut the restraints open.

He ignored the urge to pet the adorable being, opting to simply continue on his way, judging by how he acted after only looking at it the action was incredibly difficult.

[spoiler]Use it only as a reference (Art By rrusha) [img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/38c67e5c-22fe-418d-9937-b2225cb5b59e/dcj3v2n-71fd95d2-64c3-446a-9405-1c9e52709828.jpg/v1/fill/w_762,h_1049,q_70,strp/lake_by_rrusha_dcj3v2n-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTQwOSIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzM4YzY3ZTVjLTIyZmUtNDE4ZC05OTM3LWIyMjI1Y2I1YjU5ZVwvZGNqM3Yybi03MWZkOTVkMi02NGMzLTQ0NmEtOTQwNS0xYzllNTI3MDk4MjguanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEwMjQifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.9IQI-sxVljPbPYR3CBhcArZSnOOYR5VS10eT-NpGa8s[/img][/spoiler]

The... Pony? Yes, it, no, She? Seemed too small to be a horse, well that is to say besides being four-legged and having a similar shape to one the creature was [i]very[/i] different.

Her legs weren't thin, through the fluff and meat he could only see her knee bone, her muzzle seemed to be much more defined and certainly shorter than a horse's.

Her mane seemed to be more like hair than anything considering it grew on all of her head and went down into a straight line on her nape.

As far as he knew horse manes went completely straight from nape to head and not... that.

Her jaw doesn't have a curvature, well... It actually does but It's... Sharper? And smaller, going from jaw to chin in a short, circular form.

If he had to guess others of her race have varied forms, much like humans.

Even more, her snout didn't recede into skin but still kept its fur, to a certain point that is, the change between both however was so smooth he couldn't quite tell where her lips started and her fur ended.

Her teeth were... human, not quite but close enough, she didn't appear to have canines from what he could see, the angle however could be complicating things considering they were perfectly arranged and clean to a point he could hardly count them.

Either they were born this way or this specific pony takes extremely good care of her teeth.

She seemed to be, 130, maybe 135 centimeters tall, from forelegs to head that is.

Her size allowed her to reach his chest, had the mare shown any claws or sharp teeth he would have already been tensing for combat.

Being this cute however -[i]Even if big enough to intimidate his past self[/i]- made it so he couldn't think of her as anything but adorable.

Her eyes are also bigger than his and a horse's, big as in cute and not creepy, fortunately, more so, they don't face sideways but forward, curiously her pupils are not horizontal but fully spherical, much like his.

[i]'A predator variant?'[/i] He thought while the world slowed down.

Briefly, he noted his accelerated mental capacity before returning to the matter at hand.

He can worry about the changes his brain passed through from his fight against Yuujirou later.

Without knowing their ethical and philosophical maturity as both individuals and a species trusting them would be an issue.

[size=0.5em]Not that he has any plans to do it either way but still.[/size]

 A point in their favor however is the fact that he Is alive -[i]Well, due to his own merit but still[/i]- and not in a cell even after attacking one of them.

The act if taken at face value shows a certain level of empathy, or perhaps the wish to interrogate him.

[i]'Most likely both, heal me first, interrogate later.'[/i]

If that were the case he would still be in a good position, if their empathy for an unknown being is high enough to help him that alone already shows parts of their character, or perhaps that of their ruler(s).

In the end, It would all depend on how they act toward him in their first meeting.

First impressions are important after all, not that he will act differently, of course, he is himself, and he certainly won't bend to please anyone else.

If they are hostile he will first try to gain peace, if that is not possible however he may just need to kill some of them to escape.

Then find somewhere to train and strengthen himself until he is able to defeat any who hunt him down.

In his earlier years of life as a teen, for more absurd the notion seemed Yuujirou too had to dodge bullets.

[b][size=0.5em][color=#be4343][i]A smile threatened to form on his face at the idea, he struggled to hold it back.[/i][/color][/size][/b]

However, for more fun the idea of surpassing the might of a country with nothing but his fists sounded he'd prefer not to kill mindlessly.

Although the idea of murdering someone never bothered him much -[i]people put far too much value on a single life for his liking[/i]- killing these ponies would certainly upset him.

After all, if all of them are as cute as the mare in front of him he would feel bad while twisting their necks.

But no... he knows his line of thought is highly unlikely, if these creatures have any sense of reason they have already taken samples of his body to see whether or not he held any dangerous diseases to them and vice versa.

More so, when his heart monitor stopped working the mare busted inside with enough force to break an Applewood door.

She didn't seem worried about contracting any kind of disease, most likely meaning they have already tested him and given a green card.

That or they have vaccinated him while in that 'coma'.

Either way, judging by the nursing cap on her head with the cross symbol and the tattoo on her ass he can deduce that she is a nurse, and one very dedicated to her job.

Dedicated enough to care about his life and death.

An act like this would inherently mean they do not wish to harm him, much to the contrary as a matter of fact, as long as he doesn't become a problem they will most likely not bother him after the first interrogations.

And he certainly doesn't plan to become one in the future, tormenting creatures without reason is not something he does.

And even though one of them most likely put him here in the first place he will not be unthankful.

He owes them nothing, but he will not be unthankful nonetheless.

But that doesn't matter now, what does however is continuing forward and seeing what the Mare would do.

Talking about the fluff...

The... Pony? Looked distinctive from an animal, perhaps if one glanced at her from afar they would confuse her with one.

All they would need to shatter that illusion however is to look at her face and movements.

The expressions she made were far too much... Human to confuse it with an instinct-driven creature, her movements were also far too coordinated.

If someone were to look at an animal they would notice how awkward they seem to move overall, the pony in front of him however showed none of these little tells.

Even more, her smell, she smelled... pleasingly, like someone who just took a bath, and while another person could have done it the memory of that equine with a flowing mane showed it otherwise.

In conclusion, these not-quite-ponies are aliens, intelligent aliens in the form of equines.

Very different equines that is.

He has to ask himself however how her race managed to advance in technology to the point of having things like a hospital and monitors if they do not seem to possess any limb capable of handling delicate objects.

Without the ability to grip a race would be severely crippled in their evolution towards intelligence.

Even more, did they Evolve, or were they created like this? Perhaps there is another species they use as support, a symbiosis between two races?

Or maybe magic helped them in their evolution, telekinesis isn't that far-fetched after all.

In the end however, nothing mattered, with her mouth almost on the floor and eyes widening to a size larger than even a tennis ball, the pony suddenly vanished.

One moment she was there, the next a white blur went back toward the hallway.

The creature was fast, faster than anything her petite body had any right to be.

His eyes sharpened, underestimating these creatures won't be a mistake he will ever make.

Ignoring the previous happenings he looked around, and finally found what he was searching for.

Walking towards the small nightstand he opened a drawer and then smiled as he saw what he was searching for.

Reaching down he took the scalpel and observed it closely.

The thing was… different, it seemed to be made out of obsidian and felt lighter than it should.

Finding something strange, he pressed his finger onto the base of the blade, and almost jumped back as he felt the energy inside his arm flowing onto the object, lighting what seemed like a Japanese kanji.

No... It doesn't seem like one it [b]is[/b] one.

鋭, The kanji for 'sharp' 

Either this is an insane coincidence, or Japanese is a language here.

His mind immediately went back to that tunnel.

[i]'Yes...'[/i]

He had seen 4 shadows in there.

He couldn't be sure but 4 other... things were there with him.

[i]'They arrived here too?'[/i]

It was a possibility, but whether or not they were even from his world or even human was a whole other thing.

More importantly, if they arrived here [i]when[/i] did they land? Teleportation revolves around Space and Time, whoever was there with him could have long since died, or not even exist now.

He shook his head, he'll worry about it later, for now, to free himself.

Looking down at the scalpel he realized something curious, the stone... wasn't obsidian, at least not since it started glowing pink.

Ignoring the glow he lifted his hand and cut his restraints open, it was easy, far too easy in fact.

Briefly, he thought as to why these creatures had not restrained him better.

[i]'Either they underestimated me, or they have others stationed to take me down if necessary.'[/i]

He frowned.

The first option was ridiculous even if they knew his previous strength was only temporary due to Yuujiro's brief possession they would not risk it, at least not if they have any brains.

That only leaves 2 options, first, they do have someone to take him down, second, they can stop Yuujirou from possessing him, or perhaps, they know the ogre can't.

He remembers it, his 279 deaths in vivid detail, but… that is not all, is it?

He only noticed it now, information he shouldn't be aware of, memories not his own, brief bursts of weak emotions taking him

The culprit was obvious.

The Ogre.

That fucker, decided to be generous and gift him his memories from that time.

Perhaps as a thank you for the secrets of the soul he unintentionally revealed to him, the man shared his own findings and theories of the workings of the soul.

And what interesting discoveries those are.

But that is irrelevant, for now, he needs to free himself.

Gripping the scalpel he pressed its blade onto the restrains and watched as it cut the thing almost immediately.

He hummed in amazement at the blade's sharpness while cutting all 3 remaining restraints.

Throwing them to the ground he gently put the scalpel on the nightstand and started stretching while thinking about his situation.

Polite or not he will not pay those ponies for the damages, or the medical bill.

Stopping he flexed his muscles putting his guard up he threw a punch.

"Huh, huh, ha!"

Jab, cross, uppercut.

"Ho! Ya! Huh!"

Knee, kick, elbow.

He continued to attack for some more seconds, slowly letting his body remember his training of years ago.

The memories were distant, but he could still throw simple attacks.

"Pff~"

He breathed a sigh of relief, his endurance grew, even more, he felt...

[i]'No weakness'[/i]

Despite being in a coma for 7 days he felt no diminish of strength or entropy in his muscles, dare he say even after disconnecting his facets from his body he felt more powerful than he ever had before.

No, not nearly as strong or flexible as his soul self had been in his fight against Yuujirou, but stronger than he was before it.

Wishing to test something he took the scalpel again and concentrated on it, forcing the energy within him to leave in a moment the 'kanji' stopped glowing, returning the crystal to its black color.

His eyes sharpened in alert at what he felt, he couldn't see the energy but he was remarkably sensible to it due to his circumstances.

And he could feel that he had... some success, the thing still clung to his body like a symbiote but some of it left, scattering away until he couldn't differentiate it from the ambient energy.

[i]'Curious[/i].'

It indeed was, he assumed that to control the alien energy ever present in this world, 'magic', he would need specialized organs or extra body parts.

And perhaps he was right.

He used no muscles to make the thing leave his body after all, only his mind.

His lips forced a smile on him.

Once again mind over matter proves to be his strongest weapon, his most reliable ally.

Weapons, guns, bombs, magic, none of them will ever surpass the reliability and power his soul can provide, of that he is sure.

After all, his soul is his self.

And if there's something the universe made sure to hammer in his head is that the only person he can ever rely on for anything is himself.

He just has to make sure not to betray himself like before.

Although... he sometimes ponders.

What would it be like? To have someone else to rely on.

He has no wish toward it of course.

It is simply a curiosity of his.

What would it be like to have a [i]true[/i] friend?

[i][size=0.5em]He never had one of those.[/size][/i]

Returning from his useless thoughts he continued to ponder into more important matters.

His soul has complete control of itself, and after achieving Mind Over Matter it gained minimal influence over the physical body, that is to say, beyond the movement control it possesses over it of course.

This energy, magic, entered his body, clinging to him like a particularly stubborn piece of glitter, he doubts he'd ever be able to move the thing without training, but...

This body is the turf of his soul, [b]not[/b] magic.

His soul can force the... thing to move, slightly, his body cannot, it doesn't matter how much he clenches, moves, or twists his muscles the energy inside him won't budge.

'[i]Mmmn[/i]'

More and more mysteries to solve, if the locals need organs specifically to use it does that mean magic is not a spiritual energy but a purely physical one? Or that it only allows itself to be affected by physical forces.

What laws does it follow, and does it need to follow them? Is it limited, or is it just its users?

If the locals don't need specific organs does that mean magic wants to be used? Does it mean it doesn't want to be used by him?

He remembers very well what he felt after arriving in this world, what he thought.

[i]'Whatever is surrounding me is alive enough to have a mind, a spirit, an ambition.'[/i]

Magic is alive, if not that, at least conscious, and if it wants to be used, if it allows itself to be used, if it blocks others from accessing it through specific requirements then [b]it [i]can't[/i] be trusted.[/b]

Swords, guns, bombs, none of these things have a will of their own, they are objects, tools used to enhance the power of their wielders.

In other words, it is [i]false[/i] power.

Oh, he has no problem using tools to gain [b]true[/b] strength, those things are nothing but opportunities in his eyes after all.

To use their [False Power] to gain [True Strength], if magic didn't have a mind of its own and he could produce it inside himself he would use it with gusto.

This, unfortunately, is not the case.

For example, he won't use a sword exactly because he doesn't want to depend on a chunk of metal to cut.

But he would accept using magic to [b]teach[/b] his soul how to do it.

How to cut with nothing but his hands.

Unfortunately, that path seems unlikely, having a will of its own means magic cannot be utilized as a tool to make him stronger.

He can't even use it to gain power outside of it due to the simple fact that the mind behind it can mess with his spells and kill him if it so wants.

Of course, hope is not yet lost, magic is far too much of a game-changer for him to abandon just like that, so tests will have to be made.

Is there only one type of magic? If not do the other types have minds of their own? Or is magic composed of a single will that controls everything?

All questions he will need to seek the answer from.

For now he will use it, just to do tests, experiments, he will have to find a library, learn their language, and decode their secrets before the possibility of using magic even comes up.

For all he knows the thing can give him cancer, or poison him, but he thinks the medics would tell him if this were the case.

Even if they do however, he will have to make his own tests to be 100% sure.

But that is for later, he needs to do many other things first, he needs to rid himself of this disgusting body and find a way to expunge the magic inside him completely.

Later he needs to learn how to allow for it to enter his body in specific circumstances, more likely than not it will depend on his will.

Meaning it will take time.

Not a problem, for a disciplined mind everything is only a question of time.

He doesn't like it, but for now, he will allow the thing to stay inside him.

He didn't detect any malice from I-

His eyes widened.

[i]'Wait... Malice?[/i]'

He hadn't thought about it before, but now that he does, since when was he able to feel malice to this level?

The ogre's blood blasted him with it during 2 entire days, but that alone did not make him sensitive enough to detect it in low quantities.

No, what he could feel at this level was power, [b]not[/b] emotions, even then to feel anything from anyone they would need to be [b]strong[/b].

This continues being true, but...

He has a feeling he can feel it more now.

If before he could sense malice at a level of... 98 then now he feels as if he can do so at 92.

Not much lower, but enough to almost detect someone who truly wants to kill him while inside a close distance.

That equine... The one with the flowing mane, she could probably hide it from him.

His breath caught in his throat, he still doesn't believe it but his execution might just not have been an accident.

...He needs to train, [i]urgently[/i], the threats of an alien world make having this ability a necessity, [b]not[/b] an option.

He will have to do so in secret-

'[i]No[/i].'

The thought came almost instantly, overpowering any before it.

He sighed.

'[i]The problem of having pride... Is that you won't allow anyone, even yourself to tarnish it.[/i]'

He truly wouldn't, he conformed himself to rules and regulations for long enough.

He himself said it.

He changed.

The only one who decides when to stop, is him.

He will live as he wants.

And he wants to live by making it so the only one who can limit his actions to be himself.

No.

A law won't stop him from killing.

A friend won't stop him from stealing.

A gun won't stop him from advancing.

An army won't stop him from fighting.

Logic won't dictate his thoughts.

Reality won't stop him from going forward.

[b][color=#be4343]No.[/color][/b]

Even if death is the result, the only one who will limit his self, is himself, his Morals, Code of honor, and Pride, [b]that's all.[/b]

All he will [b]allow[/b] to limit him.

For someone who wishes to be infinite, nothing besides his own mind can be allowed to stop him.

[i][size=0.5em][color=#be4343]"hahahahaha~"[/color][/size][/i]

Yuujirou Hanma got so strong precisely because of this because he decided to be [b]free[/b].

Free to indulge in everything he wanted, uncaring for the consequences or reactions from others, why? [b]Because he is the strongest.[/b]

Gripping the scalpel he pressed it onto his arm, the blade cut his skin, not a second later blood flowed out, and pain came in, he ignored it.

In but a moment he hit his muscles, and noticed immediately that he had to use more strength to cut deeper.

As he thought, his durability increased significantly.

[i]'Mind over matter hmn?'[/i]

Taking the scalpel out he extended his arm and watched as blood flowed out, looking intently at the wound he frowned.

Bleeding can be something extremely dangerous, especially for a fighter like him, and quite honestly, he doesn't want to worry about something like bleeding while battling a powerful opponent with his life on the line.

And maybe… There is something he can do about it.

Opening his mouth he started to muse out loud.

"Dizziness can occur with a loss of blood as little as 10 to 15% even more, if one loses 15 to 30% of their total blood volume they can black out, and after a mere 30% or more, they will most certainly die if no immediate treatment is done.

[b]Dependency[/b].

Blood is the life of the body, without it, he cannot live, in the far future he is sure he will be able to stomp this… annoying weakness.

But it won't be simple, much like the need for blood the body needs to breathe, eat, sleep, and dispose of any excrement, these little… weaknesses always irritated him.

He'd like to do nothing besides leave these annoyances behind but for now, he can only work around them.

Or at least, one of them.

[i]'This, even I should be able to do.'[/i]

Clenching his arm he extended all the strength in both his body and soul towards a single objective, a single action.

"Huh!"

Veins pulsed as signals not supposed to exist in the human body were sent towards them.

[b]Prshhhh![/b]

Blood gushed out of the small wound in droves as veins far away clamped shut, pushing the blood in them away towards the open wound like a broken faucet.

"Ughk!"

Pain shot up from the entirety of his arm, and shoulder as his limb spasmed uncontrollably, his entire limb pulsed and heated each beat coming with the feeling of something crushing his entire arm.

Trying to smash him into a meat paste. 

His veins pulsed as his hospital gown was splattered with blood, using his other arm he forcibly stopped his uncontrollable limb and concentrated even more on the small wound.

A second was all it took for him to understand what he did wrong, much like an arm one does not think too much when controlling it.

They simply will it and it happens.

And that is what he should do.

For a moment, nothing happened, but then, as abrupt as the sudden failure of his command, he stopped bleeding.

Huff*

Huff*

Huff*

He breathed deeply as he became dizzy, the pain receded as the rest of his veins got back to normal, even then, covered in blood and smelling of metal, he smiled.

Why wouldn't he?

For the first time in his life, he did something no normal human could ever do.

[i]Vasoconstriction[/i], the narrowing of blood vessels, an ability all humans have, by clenching their muscles one can temporarily limit blood flow.

He… did not do that, no, what he did was much deeper, to put it bluntly and in scientific terms all could be resumed by three words, Advanced Neural Control.

His entire body evolves through his will, not only his muscles, that is to say, everything that CAN be improved [b]will[/b] be improved.

As long as he wishes for it that is.

And since that fight against Yuujirou all he ever thought about was to be better, better in everything he could.

Strength, speed, reflexes, senses, control, flexibility, [i]everything[/i], Dean has no shame in saying that he is in fact a greedy man.

Just not for money.

Hence how his minor ability to consciously regulate his autonomic nervous system came to be.

Of course, the complete closure of blood vessels is not a physiological or functional capability that the human body would ever allow itself to have.

Why would it have a suicide button after all?

That's the fun thing, the soul doesn't give a damn, and so, he gained more control of his body than his biology ever allowed of him.

"Ridiculous."

For a moment a sense of profound gratitude befell him.

He Is not a religious man, it has been a long time since he believed in God, but… now, looking at his wound, feeling the power in his muscles he felt the urge to thank… something, maybe the universe, maybe his circumstances, perhaps even [i]'god'[/i], he doesn't know.

All he knows is that he is grateful, for everything that happened to him, for all that was taught to him.

Pain, fear, terror, agony, death, [b]life[/b], all those things, in the past 10 days served as wonderful teachers to him.

He is grateful, for everything that pain taught him, for everything that fear showed him, for everything death revealed, and for all that life enlightened upon him.

He changed, in mere 10 Days Dean Tyronus Starfield changed so absurdly that his past self would not recognize him.

And he is happy for it.

[size=0.5em]Tears fell from his eyes, and for the first time in his life, they were not out of sadness. [/size]

Finally… [b][i][u]finally[/u][/i][/b] he killed that man.

Unconsciously both his palms met each other, before he could even notice it he thanked the universe, life, his teachers, pain, and even [b][i]himself[/i][/b] for everything that happened to him in the past days.

"ha…hahaHa."

He couldn't hold it back, a laugh.

[b]Anjali Mudra[/b], the most common hand position for praying, he hadn't done it in years, perhaps his parents would be happy if they saw him now, had he done it to thank their God.

He did not.

"HaHaHaHAHA[b]HAHAHA!"[/b]

He thanked himself, the universe, everything that was not divine.

And laughed in far greater happiness for it.

Maybe a sane man would be crying, trembling, and curling up in response to what happened to him but… he couldn't help it, he was just so… [i]So[/i][b] happy[/b].

Forcing his sobbing to recede he wiped his eyes and continued with his thoughts as if nothing had happened.

The feeling of joy refused to leave him. 

[i]'No matter'[/i]

Deep inside him he suddenly felt the need to go back to Earth, to tear a hole between the universes just to tell all of those incredible men the secrets he discovered, the wonders he unraveled, but… he dismissed it.

Oh, make no mistake he [i]will[/i] do it in the future, his conscience won't let him not pay them back for the truth they showed him.

But not now.

Now? He has to make himself presentable.

Suddenly blood gushed out of the wound in the form of a squirt, hitting his face.

He, of course, needs to better his control too, he couldn't not train after all, complete self biomanipulation is a far too important ability considering it would make him impervious to [i]many[/i] things.

But to train it to perfection he will need time, especially considering he will need the advanced mental capacity just to not kill himself in the process.

2 to 3 years should be enough for him to master it.

As an afterthought, he opened his veins slowly and allowed his blood to flow, it needed to coagulate first after all.

Walking calmly he went to leave the room, just to stop as he suddenly saw something on the side of the wall.

[spoiler][img]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSPxdBJq4S5y4tgii6s_G2JG0s8aU_eL-mkXA&usqp=CAU[/img][/spoiler]

Clothes, human clothes more specifically, hanging on a wall hanger, as if waiting to be used by him, they didn't look bad either, he could see a Black shirt, white shoes, and short pants.

He has to say it, those ponies are very considerate.

He still won't pay for damages though.

Moving quickly he took off his bloodied gown, used it to wipe the blood off his face, and put on the new clothes, briefly, he noted the lack of underpants and socks.

After changing himself he looked around and found a small mirror.

Taking it he lifted the object up and looked at himself, he… seemed thinner, like he had lost some weight.

He does suppose staying in a coma for all those days would do that to him, curiously enough he is not feeling hungry.

The clothes, however, fit him perfectly without showing his more… undesirable traits, he would have to thank whoever made them at a later date.

He still won't pay for them though.

"[i]Uhmm, excuse me mister uhm, creature?.[/i]"

He froze, and slowly turned his body towards the female, timid voice.

The one who spoke to him in perfect [i]English[/i].

His eyes widened at the sight.

[spoiler][img]https://img2.reactor.cc/pics/post/full/Fluttershy-mane-6-my-little-pony-%D1%84%D1%8D%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BC%D1%8B-7744258.png[/img][/spoiler]

Of the cutest creature he had ever seen in his life.

She is small, 120 centimeters at most, her pink mane, contrary to the previous pony, was in a perfectly straight line from her head to nape.

She too had a tattoo on her backside, 3 fluttering butterflies, looking at the other ponies behind her he saw the same marks on their backsides.

Perhaps a cultural thing, or a ritual? No matter, he can ask them later.

Somehow she is fluffier too, especially in her chest, her hooves had a golden shine to them, her eyes were blue and… kind?

It was weird, only seeing this pony made him think of her as kind.

Perhaps a mental effect? Or just a first impression.

More importantly, however, she has wings, ones that allowed her to fly and look at him eye to eye.

"[i]Uhmm mister Creature, Nurse Nightingale and Doctor Horse asked for me to come here and ask some questions if it's not too much trouble?"[/i]

The… pegasus? Said in a timid voice, either intimidated by the size difference or simply shy, he couldn't tell.

"I am a human, creature, and my name is Dean Tyronus Starfield, what would yours be? I… suppose you are a pony and a pegasus, but I could be wrong."

He asked cordially, he did not mind giving his name, it wasn't the one he was born with after all.

"[i]Oh, uhmmm, I'm Fluttershy, and yes I am a Pegasus pony, I have… never seen somehuman like you before Mister Star[/i]."

A blue pegasus with rainbow-like hair moved awkwardly behind Fluttershy, he recognized nervousness when he saw it, even in those equines.

More so, her coat color revealed more than enough to him, it was simply a possibility but the chances she was the one to attack him were high.

Yes, he is confident in his ability to differentiate their genders, contrary to horses their differences were very much apparent to his eyes.

Coat, mane, tail, shape, eyes, jaw, muzzle all had distinct differences he could immediately identify, although, from what he is seeing the size difference between the two genders seemed to be inexistent.

It is an interesting observation, if neither males nor females possess a differentiating characteristic like muscle mass and size it most likely means they, as a species, didn't have to compete against each other much for mates and resources.

He was always surprised by how people ignored the little things, especially considering how much they alone could tell entire histories.

He will never understand why most people can't be analytical, but then again, those vermin are normally happy to conform to what is around them most of the time.

A scowl almost appeared on his face before he could suppress it. 

He still doesn't know how the creature is speaking in perfect English, but he can make some tests.

"Eu estraria surpreso se tivesse senhora Fluttershy." [b](I would be surprised if you had Miss Fluttershy)[/b]

Staring at the pegasus intently he saw no change in her expression, even still, he decided to continue.

"Watashi ga saigo ni chikyū ni kita toki, ningen igai no ikimono wa ikanaru kaiwa mo dekinai to kakushin shite imashita." [b](The last time I was in my planet I was sure no creatures besides humans could have any kind if conversation.)[/b]

In the corner of his vision, he saw the blue pegasus' ears turn toward him.

[i]'So Japanese is not new here, a coincidence? Perhaps, or maybe there is a language similar to it?'[/i]

"Oh my, your planet? How did you get here then mister?" The pegasus said in a higher tone of voice quickly flying up to him and touching his cheek like a worried mother.

Surprisingly enough her hooves didn't feel cold, just… normal.

"Un portal, no, un túnel me llevó mientras dormía, me desperté segundos antes de que me arrojara cerca de un desfiladero." [b](A portal, no, tunnel took me while I was asleep, I woke up seconds before it dumped me close to a gorge)[/b]

The pony's feathers ruffled, he had the distinct impression she was agitated, worried… and it confused him.

"My Celestia, we need to find a way to bring you ba-"

"No."

The pony froze mid-sentence and stared at him with confused eyes.

He understands it, many would prefer to go back to their home…

But why would he? 

The very idea doesn't make any kind of sense.

Even if every creature on this planet wanted him dead he would still stay, being honest the idea would appeal to him even more.

To win against the might of an entire planet… he asks himself if he will ever reach that point.

Going back, in a world of magic opportunities he could only fantasize of in his previous one exist here, not to mention enemies, in his world the ceiling of power comes in the form of Yuujirou Hanma, or perhaps his Father.

Here? Here a celestial with the power of the sun exists and although he still wants to go back for nothing else besides to fight those men he will first milk every drop of what this world can offer.

"I have no wish to return, for the time being, this planet is… interesting, besides since arriving here…"

He lifted his right arm and watched as a small pool of blood formed on the small injury.

"I have learned many interesting things, a chance like this doesn't arrive for most, perhaps a one in a trillion at minimum s-"

Before he could finish his hand was suddenly yanked by the pegasus' hooves.

"You are injured!" She exclaimed and quickly turned his arm to see the wound better, even he could see the worry in the mare's eyes.

And it surprised him.

Either the woman is incredible at acting… or she is truly concerned for him.

He found it amusing, to have an alien he met only three minutes ago worry more about him than anyone before.

A pity… he has long since surpassed the wish for empathy all humans seem to have.

"Yes… I had to test something, in my fight against Yuujirou my strength evolved, I wanted to test my durability with the scalpel, you have nothing to worry about."

He said awkwardly, he knew how to react to most situations, the majority of which bad in some way or another.

He however had no idea how to act in response to… this.

Briefly, he made a note to train against it.

Narrowing her eyes the pegasus stared intensively at him, he had to admit, had he not lived with a man who constantly threatened to kill him he would have felt intimidated.

"Humph!"

Snapping her eyes toward the pony behind her she said… something, in a second the blue pegasus ran with a speed that surprised even him and three seconds later arrived with a roll band-aid in her hooves.

Briefly, he noted how the thing seemed to be stuck on the pony's hoof despite it being sideways.

[i]'Tactical telekinesis?[/i]'

Was it magical? Biological? How did it work, how strong is it? Can they use it as a substitute for fingers? Many questions appeared in his mind as he looked curiously at the pony.

Feeling something warping around his hand his eyes moved on their own towards the feeling, only to see the pegasus warping the band-aid to his hand and arm going as far as half reaching his elbow.

[i]'Unnecessary but… this does take me back… to happier times.'[/i]

A fond smile made its way into his mouth, his life… wasn't completely miserable, some moments were worth remembering for the right reasons.

The sensation took him back to years prior when his Muay Thai teacher taught him and his class how to properly put on the hand warps.

"Now mister I don't want to see you harming yourself ever again, got it?"

The Pegasus' stern voice reached his ears, he couldn't resist, she was simply too cute.

With a true smile on his face and a sensation he hadn't felt in almost a decade, he laid his right hand, the same with the band-aid, on the pony's head, and caressed her before he could think of anything else.

"I have no intention to harm myself pointlessly Miss Fluttershy, but do keep in mind that sometimes, pain is necessary for gain."

He is no liar but… in that single sentence, his tone was far more earnest than any other in the past decade.

For but a moment he understood.

What was to talk with the heart.

"O-oh, uhmmm, sure…" The timid pony blushed at the soft feeling of the human's fingers, they were just so… gentle.

Coff*

Hearing Rainbow coff behind her Fluttershy snapped out of it and quickly moved her head away, only now noticing how she leaned her head into his hand.

She pouted as her cheeks turned red.

Looking up all she saw was the human's content smile, with a puff of air she lost her breath and lost her pout, she couldn't bring herself to scold the human, he was so happy.

And she didn't want to take that away from him.

He must have suffered very much at the claws of that demon after all.

Even then, despite everything, he was very gentle.

"N-now, since I am the only pony capable of speaking with your language the medics asked me to take care of you until you learn our language."

She spoke quickly while avoiding looking at the human above, she was the one supposed to be petting, not the other way around!

Although it felt nice, she understands why Angel likes it so much now.

"Yes… about your ability Miss Shy, how can you understand me?"

"[i]Oh, we were having such a nice conversation I forgot to tell you the basic things, here." [/i]Her gentle voice returned as she put her hoof behind her head in embarrassment.

She lifted her backside, showing her mark to him, for a moment his mind short-circuited, he hadn't thought about it before due to them being similar in shape to the animals of earth but… everyone besides him and that doctor is naked.

The smell of… sweet fruits? Took him back to the real world as he looked at the mare's mark.

She had a remarkably small, round plot.

Even that was cute.

"This is my cutie mark, a pony of any tribe, including the zebras can gain their mark after finding their destiny. They are obtained when ponies discover a unique characteristic that sets themselves apart from others, something they love so much they will spend the rest of their lives doing it."

"My cutie mark represents my affinity with animals and allows me to speak, understand, and be understood in any language, for example, now I am speaking equish and despite not understanding the words you are speaking my cutie mark translates them for me."

The yellow pegasus said in an upbeat tone, forgetting for a minute she was even shy.

"I see, tell me, did you have this talent before or did your cutie mark need to appear for you to speak with animals."

The Pegasus' smile widened even more, it was clear she loved to talk about her talent, had he been a less blunt and honest man he would have used that to his advantage.

The idea however did not even pop up inside his head.

"Oh, that is a good answer you see-"

The pony behind her coughed out loud.

Looking behind herself Fluttershy gave an embarrassed smile and kept quiet as the pony spoke.

Turning to him once again she spoke.

"Well, hmm, we should leave, it it isn't too much problem for you that is mister."

"No, not at all, I will not reject the offer for shelter Miss Shy, I suppose you will be teaching me your language?"

"Oh, yes! We will go to my home where you will stay until you manage to learn everything you need and we find… something for you to do."

He instinctively bowed, his time in Japan served well for him to speak and act politely.

"Thank you miss Shy, I will do my best not to be a burden, feel no hesitation in giving me tasks."

Smiling, the Pegasus turned around and walked away.

"I will show you the way, lets go."

"Miss Shy, hat time is it?"

"Hmmm, 17:43."

He hummed in response, following close behind he left the room with the yellow pegasus.

Only to freeze as a female voice shouted, in Japanese.

<<H-hey wait!>> 

Turning around he looked at the blue pony with a neutral expression.

<<Look, I-im sorry, I know, just saying I'm sorry won't change anything but still have to say it.>>

The pony breathed deeply.

<<My 16 name is Rainbow Dash, I am years old, and a pegasus who lives here in Ponyville, seven days ago that… demon did, something, it made everypony see themselves dying over again>>

Now, Dean started to pay more attention.

<<This… this isn't me trying to justify myself, I was scared, so scared couldn't move, and when finally managed the first thing did attack you>>

She bowed.

<<I'm sorry, you were just… walking, trying to find help, and I… I did something horrible, know it isn't enough but promised by my name that wouldn't let die.>>

She lifted herself up, and tensed her muscles as her body trembled, he recognized the motion very well, the mare was gathering the courage to say something.

He… understands it, somewhat, not every creature puts as little importance on life as him, empathy isn't something he feels very much, whether because he doesn't interact with people or simply because he doesn't care not even he knows.

Maybe he should find out, he has no wish to be a sociopath or a good doer.

<<So I decided to do everything you ask of me as an apology, and…I know would be justified to, but please, don't angry with anypony else, the fault was mi->>

"Why… would I be angry?" 

He interrupted the pegasus, her small speech was starting to annoy him, all he wants to do is go to his temporary residence with Miss Shy, start his life in this new world, learn their language, and train.

He certainly has no time for a disgruntled pegasus with the belief that his near-death experience was under any way her fault.

<<Eh? >>

"How old are you again pony?"

<<16! And my name's Rainbow Dash, sir!>>

"You are still a child then, so let me explain something to you. I don't know how your world works but in mine, it is an unquestionable truth that death comes to us all."

His voice was smooth, calm even.

He truly felt no anger towards the pegasus.

Only gratitude.

Her sudden attack made him understand, [b]truly[/b] [i]understand[/i] just how quick and merciless death can come due to a [u]simple[/u] mistake.

Not to mention his fights against Yuujirou, for more that he suffered in the hands of the Ogre, if he got back in time he would do it again, 

Pain, he came to realize, is the best teacher for him.

It was merciless, brutal, slow, it didn't care whether or not he wanted to stop, to rest, to recuperate, it just kept being there.

Most of all however, it made a point to remind him of his mistakes, but not only that, his efforts, his training, his successes, all rewarded with even more [b]pain[/b].

He doesn't like the sensation of course, he is not a masochist, what he likes is what pain itself represents.

[i]Progress[/i].

Pain means he put himself in harm's way, that he exercised to a point where small parts of his body were broken.

That even while in agony he could still move forward.

That the fear of harm didn't stop him from doing something he wanted.

Pain, contrary to what most think, is truly a wonderful thing.

It is a teacher.

And obstacle.

A reminder.

A [i]blessing[/i].

And most of all, until the day he dies.

Until the day he lets out his final breath.

[b]It will be his closest friend[/b].

"But… there are those who can fight against it, one man, Yuuichirou Hanma, the father of the demon inside me, managed to do just that."

The pony's eyes widened.

"Even after death he could make his soul return to the land of the living, to walk again with mortals as if he were one himself."

He looked at the Pegasu's disbelieving eyes.

"Impossible? I too thought that, for 22 years of my life I thought many things were beyond my ability as a human to achieve."

"But no, those were only excuses, excuses of a boy who didn't have the will to even take a vaccine shot without crying, I have seen a boy of 168 centimeters punch with so much force an entire country shook."

"And I saw his father, the strongest creature on earth, take that same punch with a smile on his face."

His eyes blackened as anger flowed through him.

"A drop of blood, all a punch capable of destroying countries was able to do was make that man bleed a single drop of blood, through his nose."

"You call this man Yuuchirou Hanma a demon, and in a way you are right, but he is also a human, the freest human on the planet, and for that, I admire him most of all."

Thump!* 

Through his ears Dean heard the beating of a heart, he dismissed it as his own.

"That man showed me the truth Rainbow Dash, the fault for not being able or even willing to do the impossible, Is solely mine, [b]So let me make something abundantly clear, It was not your fault child"[/b]

The pony almost jumped at his sudden deeper tone, he himself was surprised, his soul improved even that? 

"Death comes only to those weak enough not to resist it, so [b]never[/b] in your life mock me again pony."

His hair started to float, before returning to normal not a second later.

"To put the blame of my death upon anyone but myself… [b]WOULD BE THE HIGHEST FORM OF RIDICULOUSNESS!!!"[/b]

Anger flooded his being, pity? Protection?! If any fucker ever tries to do those things with him [b]he will put their heads on a spike.[/b]

For a grown man to act like a child? To cry for help? To weep in pain? To demand retribution without having the strength to take it? How [b][i][u]Pathetic[/u][/i][/b][b] [/b]does that creature think he is?!

"Hear me well [b]Pony[/b], if you ever in your [b]miserable[/b] life mock me like this again? Regardless if I get killed, or the entirety of your race hunts me down like an animal,[b] I will rip your head out with my bare hands."[/b]

His voice resonated through the entirety of the hospital as a wave of… something burst out of his body making all the ponies near him flinch. 

Trembling, the blue mare gulped but still refused to back down.

<<B-but, the demon, I pushed that thing inside you, you could have lost your soul, memories, be a vegetable now for Luna's sake!>>

"As I said before, the demon you speak of is called Yuujirou Hanma child, and if I fall to his fist it will be because I gave up."

He kneeled in front of the pegasus and grasped both of her cheeks with his hands.

"Without will a creature has nothing, [b][i]nothing[/i][/b], if that man defeats me it will be because I lost my will Child, because I no longer could bear the weight of existence, the pain of progress."

"And for more of a weakling, I might be, for more of a miserable human I am, never in my life will I accept being pathetic, in life or death, I will choose non-existence over being what I once was."

"If I ever return to the point any fucker stronger than me is capable of making me give up because of something as ridiculous as pain I would prefer to no longer exist rather than give up being the man I dream to be."

He stared intensely at the pony's eyes, even while trembling the mare refused to bulge, he respected that.

"So once again [i]Pony[/i], [b]never[/b] mock me again."

His eyes softened as he released her cheeks and lifted himself out of the ground.

"I wish not for your pity or misguided sense of duty to gain my forgiveness, there is nothing to feel sorry for, but… judging by the form of your body and muscles I would say you train for something correct?"

<<Yes, I… wanted to be a Wonderbolt, it was my dream since I filly but.>> Her head went down. <<I changed and… it too.>>

"I see, if you want to repent so much I will fully take advantage of it then, from tomorrow on, you will help me, to the best of your ability in my training."

In all his life Dean was someone described as brutally honest to such a point many thought he was insulting or being rude to them.

Even now, that did not change.

If an opportunity is given to him, as long as it does not conflict with his philosophy, he will take it without a hint of shame. 

"If I am about to give up, force me to continue, if I am sweating, throw water at me, If I have specific dietary needs to advance, buy them, if I need specific equipment, find it."

"If you know ways of advancing further, bring them to me."

"In other words, I am in temporary need of a coach, can you serve in this position until I am satisfied?"

A toothy smile formed on the pegasus' face, he could see she was barely holding herself back from jumping up and down in joy.

<<Yes yes I can CAN!>>

"Good, now, if possible you can take the medical scans from those doctors to make a precise training regimen, you can come to Miss Shy's residence at 1 p.m. looking for me."

The mare nodded as if the world beneath her hooves was shaking.

"Oh, and Rainbow Dash?"

<<hmm? >>

"Make it hard."

Turning around he walked together with Fluttershy toward her home, minutes passed as they walked in silence, Dean opted to say nothing as he observed the area around.

It was snowing.

"Was that necessary?"

Leaving the hospital Fluttershy decided to break the silence and speak with him, surprisingly enough there was no fear in her voice.

"No, but I wanted to make it clear to her how ridiculous she was being, I am weak, and for that I almost died, there is nothing besides that."

The shy pegasus lowered her head as they walked towards her home.

"Fear… is an instinctive response Miss Shy, I understand it, but you have no need to fear me, you have been kind to me, I will not answer this with violence, I am not an animal."

"Neither am I someone who would let himself be consumed by petty urges, I do what I do because of who I am and Who I want to be Miss Shy, I will always be myself, and through the time we will spend together I hope you can know who this man is."

He sighed, Fluttershy was… kind, a good woman from what he could see, she doesn't deserve being mistreated, and having her fear him because of his outburst would… make him sad.

He likes the pegasus, she reminds him of a babysitter he had while young, he'd prefer if she smiled in his presence, not trembled.

"Haha."

The diminutive pegasus laughed and then looked up at him with a smile, one that managed to take one from him too.

"Please, call me Fluttershy Mister Star."

"You know, in the country I was in everyone was very polite, they all called me Star-san, I never liked it very much, they were all so… professional you know, distant."

He sighed, his body trembled as he gathered the courage to do something he hadn't tried in a long, long time.

He still doesn't have the wish to but… he wants to distance himself from who she was the maximum he could, so, who knows, maybe he will like it?

"And I'd very much like to be your friend Mi- Fluttershy, we will stay a while together after all."

The Pegasus stopped and put a hoof on his leg.

"I… don't have many friends either, I was always too shy in front of other ponies you know, the doctors said I was prone to anxiety, I was… bullied in my fillyhood, and although rainbow helped me somewhat it wasn't enough."

She laughed self-deprecatingly.

"Now I am that reclusive pony that talks to animals, by Celestia those foals are merciless, ever since then I always preferred to stay with my animal friends but… maybe, because you aren't a pony, but I was only nervous at the beginning."

Her eyes widened in alarm.

"Not that I see you as less than a Pony of course!"

His only response was to chuckle, something that made the pony start to laugh too.

Looking up at him with a toothy smile she opened her mouth.

"I'd like to have a friend in you too Star… if you'd have one on me."

Resisting the urge to hug the fluffy pony Dean petted her head.

"Two loners hum? You know I've heard a phrase that fits in this situation quite well, Fluttershy, let's be alone, together."

The pony smiled even more as a blush appeared on her cheeks, the sensation of the human's fingers was strange, but not unwelcome

The rest of the path passed in a comfortable silence between the two.

Five minutes later, they arrived at her home, and three hours later, he slept on her sofa.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

[center][b]Name: Dean Tyronus Hanma Starfield

Title: Pig

Age: 23

Plane: Spiritual

Location: Mindscape

Time: Irrelevant[/b][/center]

[b]"Oi, fat ass."[/b]

Anger blossomed into his being before he could even properly open his eyes.

Jumping out of the ground he put his guard up and snapped his face towards the voice.

And just as before, there he was, Yuujirou Hanma's grinning form.

[spoiler][img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/e2d2cb6e-0fea-421a-8b8c-4594cce51b89/dgeblqr-469f4602-66c7-4007-b9b7-110523fe6238.jpg/v1/fit/w_768,h_1024,q_70,strp/ssstik_io_1698610619367_by_hoku76_dgeblqr-414w-2x.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTAyNCIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2UyZDJjYjZlLTBmZWEtNDIxYS04YjhjLTQ1OTRjY2U1MWI4OVwvZGdlYmxxci00NjlmNDYwMi02NmM3LTQwMDctYjliNy0xMTA1MjNmZTYyMzguanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTc2OCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.IWdgDqYznOkFLZVac6SGKL_N5rD8YO4H8g9T_y7KcR4[/img][/spoiler]

[b]"I will talk, and you will listen."[/b]